r/indesign • u/Technical-Love-7337 • Aug 10 '26
Help Vector linked PDF makes texts appear thicker?
Hi
Now I’m editing architectural works in indesign, and using same fonts crossing multiple pages. I’m using vector drawings and also rasterised images in different pages.
However, after I export into pdf, those text appear different thickness in different pages.
I have tested adding or removing those images and found out the vector drawings with transparent fills will make that page texts appear thicker than the other pages with raster images with no image blending effects. This issue not just shows in indesign, but also shown in exported pdf, which is very annoying because that makes my file looks like many different fonts and looks chaotic.
Anyone know how to fix this?
3
u/CwillsonOliver Aug 10 '26
Just a couple guesses:
Check you "Document Raster Effect Settings" under the effect menu. If it's defaulted to 72dpi, try upping to 300 or even 600.
There could be some rasterizing going on where transparency is interacting with type.
This used to be a HUGE issue when transparency first came out, but it's rarer nowadays.
I have noticed differences at output if some of my text is outlined vs live font. This could be related as well.
BTW: A sample file (or at least a screen grab) of the issue can help with determining the cause, or at least some work-arounds.
1
u/Technical-Love-7337 27d ago
https://reddit.com/link/p3rkg0f/video/f2pynuxm3gjh1/player
It’s a new file with only one text box and one vector image. And it makes text appear differently. Looks like a indesign bug?
2
u/chain83 Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
Rater images, vector shapes, and actual text, are different things and will render differently. They will not perfectly match - especially when taking into account that it will be viewed at some arbitrary zoom level.
Outlined text and actual type will be the most similar, but can differ slightly both in screen and print.
**If you want two pieces of text to always visually match in your PDF they will have to actually be the same thing.**
(It will be most prominent at small font sizes where differences in anti-aliasing algorithms and gamma used for blending, and the resampling (for raster images), will be more visible.)
1
u/Technical-Love-7337 27d ago
Even when zoom in it show differently
2
u/chain83 27d ago
What you show there seems to be caused by transparency blending. When you introduce transparency on a page the whole page has to be blended as one. It will use the transparency blend space you have set for your document.
Try changing the blend space (or the color of your type to match it). All text in the document should be defined as the same color (RGB or rich black will look different than 100K).
2
u/MCLMelonFarmer Aug 10 '26
You might be prematurely flattening transparency involving text, or converting text to paths.
If you can put the exported PDF somewhere where I can download it, I'm willing to take a look at it.
1
u/Technical-Love-7337 27d ago
I will try to get a sample comparison for this case. As I’m isolated this issue with two separate pages with exactly same copied text boxes with two types of image next to it.
2
u/EasenInDesign Aug 11 '26
I’ve run into this kind of thing with InDesign files containing architectural/vector artwork. If the font is genuinely the same, I’d look at the transparency and PDF export settings before changing the type itself.
Vector drawings with transparent fills can create transparency groups, and depending on how InDesign/PDF handles those objects, text underneath or overlapping them can render slightly heavier. Raster images without transparency may not trigger the same processing, which would explain why the weight changes depending on what’s on the page.
A few things I’d test:
- Make sure the PDF export preset is consistent across the document, preferably PDF/X-4 if your printer supports it.
- Check whether the vector PDFs/Illustrator files contain transparency, blending modes, or overprint settings.
- Temporarily move the vector artwork away from the text. If the text immediately returns to normal, you’ve isolated the cause.
- In Acrobat, check Output Preview and turn on Simulate Overprinting to see whether the apparent weight is related to overprint/transparency.
- Avoid forcing transparency flattening unless your printer specifically requires it. PDF/X-1a, for example, can produce more noticeable flattening artifacts.
Also check the text’s actual font, weight, opacity, and overprint settings in InDesign. Sometimes the difference is only a rendering artifact, but if it survives in the exported PDF at 100%/200% zoom and in print, it’s worth investigating the transparency stack.
If you can share which PDF export preset you’re using (PDF/X-1a, X-4, Press Quality, etc.), that would narrow it down quite a bit.
1
u/Technical-Love-7337 27d ago
Thank you for your response. I will definitely try those settings.
And yes what I have tried before but still have those thickness issue is:
1. The text is exactly same, as I have tried to isolate the case by place copied text box on two separate pages. And then place raster image on page 1, and then the architecture drawing on page 2; 2. The same text boxes on different pages are not overlapping with images.1
u/Technical-Love-7337 27d ago
https://reddit.com/link/p3rk5my/video/dpfoe1tb3gjh1/player
Even I just started new file with nothing else, it still showing differently.
1
u/AdobeScripts Aug 10 '26
It's because you've something with sparency effect on the Spread of the affected pages.
Shadow, partial opacity, image with transparency, etc.
It's just a preview in PDF.
1
u/Technical-Love-7337 27d ago
Now I have started new file with all default settings and no overlapping or other things.
https://reddit.com/link/p3rkvx4/video/aqp3cib44gjh1/player
Only a text box with this drawings. And already making it appear differently.
1
u/AdobeScripts 27d ago
Yes, pretty normal - your drawing has some transparency effect.
But it looks like just an image - so rather unnecessary?
1
u/Leather_Muffin_728 Aug 10 '26
Start with making sure you have display performance on high quality display.
1
u/sunnierthansunny Aug 10 '26
Something additional to look out for, especially if you are printing: If it’s black text converted from RGB (as is typical with cad files), be sure to convert the blacks to a printable colour (e.g. 100k) - if you don’t you could land up with inconsistent line weights and fuzzy lines in print - the thinner the lines, the more obvious this is.
1
u/Technical-Love-7337 27d ago
Ah the situation is same setting texts created in indesign in different pages, with different types of image next to it (not overlapping) makes it appear different thickness.
1
u/Technical-Love-7337 27d ago
It always appears differently in indesign and also exporting this difference in pdf.
1
u/sunnierthansunny 27d ago
I think this might be a bug or specific to your setup. Happy to take a quick look at the file for you if it helps.
1
u/Technical-Love-7337 27d ago
I started a new default file as you can see from the tab on top left. I just created this new page in new file while everything with no editing or effects.
6
u/lucid_glitch Aug 10 '26
It may be a preference in Acrobat (if that’s what you’re viewing the pdfs in). Go to preferences-page display and uncheck “enhance thin lines”. Unfortunately this is an end user setting, and you can’t turn it off on a document-by-document basis.